Do primary school children – both girls and boys – suffer from a lack of male teachers? Not according to the head of the UK's largest teaching union, Chris Keates. The general secretary of the NASUWT has criticised the latest initiative by the Training and Development Agency (TDA) aimed at recruiting more male primary school teachers, arguing that gender makes no difference. She said:

There is relatively little evidence that the number of male teachers has any significant impact on boys' educational outcomes.

Claims that male teachers inspire children to feel more confident, to behave better and to work harder are an implicit criticism of women teachers. All good teachers have those characteristics regardless of their gender.

The latest push by the TDA seems particularly pointless as by its own admission applications from men have risen by over 30%

A far more fundamental issue on which the TDA should be focusing is the fast-tracking of the men who do come into teaching into leadership and management posts to the detriment of the careers of women teachers.

So, is Keates right to suggest that a gender balance when it comes to teaching isn't important? And in your experience, is there a male bias regarding the fast-tracking of teachers?